The Ultimate Gift
by AlanSmithy
Summary: After the death of Albus Dumbledore, Harry returns to Privet Drive as per his exHeadmaster's wish, accompanied by Ron and Hermione. They begin their search for the Horcruxes, but they will need some help along the way. And it won't be easy. Post HBP.
1. Back to Privet Drive

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

CHAPTER 1 – RETURN TO PRIVET DRIVE

The sun rose slowly over the town of Little Whinging, Surrey. Its light creeped across Magnolia Crescent and passed almost reluctantly over the identical square houses and perfectly manicured gardens of Privet Drive. The neighborhood was quiet, as such a suburban neighborhood should be at such an early hour and just as the residents of Privet Drive preferred it: quiet and normal. Slowly the neighborhood came to life, Mrs. Number 5 came out to tend to her garden, and the hard working residents eventually emerged to make their way to work. Progressing in its daily path across the sky, the sun took no notice, and another quiet and normal day passed on Privet Drive, thank you very much. That is, until a taxi pulled up in front of Number 4 just as the sun began its descent and three teenagers stepped out.

The lone female stepped around to the front, pulling out a wad of money and counting it out for the driver while the red headed one looked on with baffled amazement. Shaking his head in amusement the final passenger, an easily recognized and not altogether welcome resident of Number 4 for the past sixteen years, popped the boot and began to unenthusiastically pull out the three large trunks stored therein. Harry Potter had returned to Privet Drive, but this time he was not alone.

With their belongings gathered on the pavement and the taxi driving off around the corner, the other two looked at Harry expectantly, but he was merely gazing at the house in front of him with a look of both trepidation and resignation.

"Well?" Ron asked impatiently.

Hermione _tsked_ at him and placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry nodded thankfully to her and motioned the others to follow him as he made his way to the door, his trunk dragging behind him, an empty cage of some sort balanced precariously on top. Taking a deep breath and gathering his courage, Harry rang the doorbell and could just hear his aunt's shrill voice calling from within. _"Coming!"_

The door flew open and Harry had a brief glimpse of a smile plastered on Aunt Petunia's face before she fully took notice of who was standing on her doorstep when it was immediately replaced with a familiar sneer of disgust. "You!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Harry forced a congenial smile onto his face, a tough task at the best of times, made nearly impossible by certain recent events. "Hello Aunt Petunia. May we come in?"

His pleasant greeting had the desired effect, stunning his aunt into silence and causing her to stare at him in shock just long enough for he and his friends to push their way into the house and close the door.

"Wha-what are you doing here? You're not due for another week. And what are _they_ doing here?" Her horse-like face was twisted into an expression of shock and outrage, her voice a hissed whisper as if she feared being overhear, which she probably did.

Ron and Hermione gasped in outrage, and Harry saw Ron's out of the corner of his eye reaching towards his wand. Harry spoke quickly before either of his friends could make matters worse.

With the smile still plastered across his face, Harry stepped in between his friends and his Aunt. "I'm so sorry Aunt Petunia for barging in like this unannounced, but there was a…er…_complication_ at school this year, and all the students had to be sent home early. Ron and Hermione here had to come along with me for the same reason. If we could step into the sitting room for a moment I can explain everything to your satisfaction."

He stepped forward and gently took his aunt by the elbow and led her into the sitting room, his congenial behavior still shocking enough that she did not feel the need to protest. Ron and Hermione quietly followed them, Ron looking confused, and Hermione with a shrewd look plastered across her features. Harry did not need Legilimency to know what they were thinking: Ron was wondering why he was being so nice to his aunt after all the stories he had heard, and Hermione was already catching onto his ploy. As a matter of fact, Harry himself had not known how he would react upon seeing his relatives again, but standing at the door had suddenly reminded him of a night not quite a year ago when Professor Dumbledore had appeared on the same doorstep and completely disarmed his relatives by doing something Harry never would have dreamed of…being polite. When his aunt had answered the door, he could not help but think of the old wizard's success in handling his aunt and uncle and immediately decided to take a leaf out of the Professor's book.

Sitting Aunt Petunia on the couch he motioned for his two friends to take the loveseat while he himself sat in the armchair and faced his aunt, his fingers entwined together and his hands sitting politely on his lap. The room was silent for nearly a minute before his aunt said, "Well?"

Harry looked at her in seeming confusion. "Yes?" he asked.

"So explain!"

"Oh," Harry looked properly abashed. "Yes, well. You remember Professor Dumbledore's visit last summer?" His stomach hitched slightly at the vocalization of his mentor's name, but he schooled his features and did not let it show. His aunt nodded stiffly. "And that he asked you to keep me on for one more summer?" Another nod. "Well, I'm back for that one more summer. A little earlier than expected, but I will still be gone by my birthday, I promise, never to return and will then be out of your life forever."

Aunt Petunia looked offended and waved her hands dismissively. "Yes, yes, I know that. But what's that got to do with them?" she pointed at Ron and Hermione, "And what kind of 'complication' arose at that school of yours to make you come back so early?"

Harry sighed. "Our Headmaster was…er…" he shifted nervously. "He was murdered last week by one of Voldemort's servants. They call themselves Death Eaters," he offered helpfully. Harry did not think her face could look more shocked, but it did. "We were allowed to stay for the funeral, but were sent home so that arrangements could be made to assure the students' safety next year…if the school even reopens. Hermione and Ron here had nowhere to go, as their families had to go into hiding, and this is the safest place for them, so they are here." Harry winced inside at the blatant lie he was telling, but this was the only way his aunt might even remotely accept his friends' presence. He had to appeal to her, admittedly deeply buried, parental instincts.

"Why couldn't they go into hiding with their families?" she asked, remarkably calmly.

"They were already in hiding under the _Fidelius_ charm and it was safer for all involved if even they did not know the location of their families."

Harry waited with bated breath, preparing mentally for a long argument with his aunt. At least Ron and Hermione were staying quiet like he had asked them, although he could see that Hermione had placed a restraining arm on Ron's leg which seemed to be the only thing restraining him from saying anything.

"Vernon won't like it."

Harry didn't know what to say. He was expecting more of an argument. "Well…erm…is he here?" Aunt Petunia shook her head. "Well then he doesn't know they're here. Let's just keep it that way."

His aunt's features screwed up in anger. "You want me to lie to my husband?"

"Not at all Aunt Petunia. On the contrary, if he ever asks if two of my friends are living here, by all means tell him. But if he doesn't ask…" he let the thought trail off.

Slowly deflating, his aunt gave him a calculating look that would not have been amiss on Hermione on the few occasions when she was planning a particularly nasty bout of rule-breaking. She stood up, her eyes locked onto his, and then turned abruptly towards the kitchen. "I expect the grass to be mowed and the garden cared for as normal," she said as she walked out of the room. "And don't let me _catch_ you nicking any food from the kitchen or there will be trouble." He stared after his aunt as she passed out of the room, he could have sworn he heard her say "for both of us" under her breath as she walked away.

"Well," Hermione broke the silence. "That went much better than I expected."

"Better!" Ron began to exclaim, but was halted in his tirade by Harry's upheld hand.

"Wait until we're up in my room please Ron."

The three friends gathered their trunks that had been left in the hall and carried them up the stairs. As he passed the kitchen, Harry peered in to see his aunt sitting stiffly at the kitchen table clutching a cup of tea and staring blankly out the window, studiously ignoring the sounds of three trunks being dragged up her stairs.

At seeing the dismal state of his room for the first time, Hermione had made an angry sound in the back of her throat and whipped out her wand to immediately begin making improvements. First the room had been magically expanded to nearly quadruple its original size and then his bed transfigured into a nearly perfect replica of his four-poster at Hogwarts. Two more identical beds were conjured into existence and placed against the wall. His desk and dresser were summarily enlarged, and bookshelves conjured to sit against the far wall. She then turned her attention to the door and window, casting a silencing charm on the former, and a spell Harry did not recognize on the latter. He could not help but be impressed with her wand work, and by the open mouthed gawking of his best friend, Harry guessed that Ron felt the same way.

Hermione looked around the room examining her handiwork and gave a satisfied nod. "Well, that's a start at least," she said.

"What was that charm you cast on the window?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's just a standard illusion. If anyone looks in the window, all they'll see is your room as it was, albeit empty."

Harry nodded, impressed at his friend's ingenuity.

"Blimey!" Ron said. "Where do you come up with this stuff, Hermione? It's bloody brilliant!"

"Language, Ron," Hermione cautioned, but Harry saw a slight blush arise in her cheeks.

Ron collapsed on one of the beds Hermione had conjured, gratefully sinking into its softness. "So," he said.

Hermione conjured a chair for herself and likewise collapsed. "So," she mimicked. They both looked at him.

Collapsing on his own, much improved, bed Harry closed his eyes and brought his hands up to massage his temples. "Well that went _much_ better than I could ever had hoped for. We'll just have to keep Uncle Vernon and Dudley from knowing you're here. Shouldn't be too hard. We can use the invisibility cloak to sneak you out and back in, and you'll just have to shower really early in the mornings."

"What about food?" Ron asked.

Hermione tutted again. "More importantly, Harry, what about the loo? If we're going to be hiding from your uncle and cousin that will be the most difficult to manage." Ron looked put out that his question of food was being relegated as less important that anything else.

Harry ran his hands though his hair. "I hadn't thought about that. Any ideas?"

Hermione shook her head. "I thought that would be the problem. Don't worry, I'll take care of it," she said confidently, pulling a book out of her rucksack as she talked.

"How?"

"It'll be a bit tricky, but I think I can manage conjuring one."

Harry looked at her incredulously. "Conjure one? But how will you hook it up to the plumbing?"

Ron looked confused. "Plumbing?"

"It's a Muggle thing Ron. And I won't need to Harry. Magic, remember?" she smiled at him.

"Sometimes I just have trouble remembering that there is such a thing. Makes life a bit easier, doesn't it?" he said.

"And a hell of a lot more complicated," she replied.

Shaking his head, Ron muttered, "Mental, the both of them." A little louder he added, "So, what's for dinner?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the rest of the evening organizing the room and making it more comfortable for three people to share. In addition to the previous additions, they added a few sitting chairs and were able to install a fireplace as well as a full toilet, shower, and sink (surrounded, of course, by magically erected walls). Harry figured that they would just have to nick food from the kitchen (his aunt had said not to let her _catch_ him), or just buy food from the local market and put it under a non-perishable charm. Before leaving Hogwarts he had asked Mr. Weasley to change over some of his gold to Muggle money so that they would be able to pay for such necessities over the summer and Bill had given him a large roll of notes at King's Cross before they got into the taxi.

Hermione had received her parents' permission easily enough to stay with Harry for the summer. They trusted their daughter. Ron was a different story though. He had a momentous row with his mother in the middle of the much less crowded that usual Platform 9 ¾, shouting about being of age and making his own decisions. Disaster was only narrowly averted by the intervention of Mr. Weasley, whom Harry and Hermione had discreetly taken aside after Dumbledore's funeral and explained their plans for the summer. Hermione's foresight really was amazing, and Harry still couldn't help but be amazed with her after all these years. Mr. Weasley was able to convince his wife that Harry would be much safer with Ron and Hermione around, and that Order members would be on hand at all times to keep an eye on them. Harry almost commented at this point about not needing to be babysat, but wisely held his tongue, deciding to pick his battles.

Eventually, Harry heard the telltale sounds of his uncle arriving and felt it would be better to confront him about being home early now as opposed to letting him find out about it later. "Stay here," he told his friends and went downstairs to meet his uncle.

As he reached the bottom, he heard the television flip on in the sitting room, and cautiously made his way in that direction. His aunt was still in the kitchen and as he passed he could have swore he saw her give him an approving glance before her face went blank again. Standing at the entrance to the sitting room he observed his uncle quietly for a few moments. Vernon was as large and imposing as ever, and Harry almost backed away, but shook himself and took a steadying breath. He walked inside and said, "Hello Uncle Vernon."

Vernon gave a grunt in response. After a few moments in which he processed who had just spoken to him, his head whipped around in an almost comical fashion, his mustache immediately bristling and his face turning an instant shade of puce as he registered the presence of his nephew. "YOU!" he bellowed as he leaped up from the armchair where Harry had been sitting earlier. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE FOR ANOTHER WEEK!" Harry stood by calmly and took his uncle's shouting without flinching.

"Uncle Vernon, would you please calm down?" Harry asked while moving to sit on the loveseat. "CALM DOWN! I WILL NOT ABIDE YOUR PRESENCE IN MY HOUSE ONE MOMENT MORE THAT I HAVE TO. GET OUT! COME BACK IN A WEEK!"

"Uncle Vernon, please!" Harry held his hands up in supplication. "There's nothing either of us can do about it. Believe me, I didn't plan on coming here a week early, but it does mean that I will also be leaving a week earlier than I had planned. I'll be out of your life that much sooner."

"OUT…er…out of my life?" Vernon asked, beginning to deflate slightly.

Harry nodded and gestured to the seat that his uncle had just vacated. "Yes, out of your life. As soon as I stay here, as my Headmaster requested of you last year, for a short while more, I will leave and never return. Just as you have always wanted. You will never hear from me again."

"Never?"

"Well, not unless you invite me back, of course," Harry said with a small smile.

"INVITE YOU…er…well, yes. Never, then."

Harry nodded amiably. "Since I am here a week now I will, of course, be taking over care of the lawn and garden for you. Unless there's anything else you would like me to do before I leave?"

Vernon looked at him with narrowed eyes, suspicious of his nephew's offer. "No," he said cautiously. "No, the garden will be good. I don't want to see one weed in that garden tomorrow when I get home from work, boy. Understand?"

"Yes Uncle Vernon, I understand perfectly. I'll leave you to your television then, shall I?"

Still glaring at him suspiciously Vernon nodded. Harry got up and walked back towards his room. On the threshold he was stopped by his uncle's voice.

"Oh, and Potter?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Dudley gets back from Smeltings tomorrow. Be sure his room is clean and that he has a healthy lunch waiting for him. Don't trust that school food, you know."

Harry turned back around. "Yes, Uncle Vernon."

The next few weeks were the most enjoyable Harry had ever spent on Privet Drive. All of the tasks that the Dursleys set him were accomplished by a quick flick of Ron or Hermione's wand, and the three were able to spend their days at Muggle cafés discussing their plan for searching for the Horcruxes. A quick _Muffliato_ was sufficient in keeping any prying ears from listening to their conversations. Hermione seemed to be more at ease with the Prince's spells now that they knew his identity, and although Harry was now reluctant to use anything that had been invented by Snape, he had to admit its usefulness.

Their first night together had been an uncomfortable affair when Ron fully came to the realization that he would be sleeping in the same room as Hermione. It was rather funny to Harry, watching him trying to change under the covers of his bed, and he and Hermione shared many an amused glance during his attempts. Hermione merely went into the conjured loo to change, and saved Ron the embarrassment. He did gulp audibly though when Hermione emerged in her nightdress and Harry had to restrain himself from laughing at his friend's discomfort.

Eventually, Ron had become more comfortable with the arrangement, and Harry suspected pleased with it by the looks he was shooting Hermione every night when she was looking away. He wished his friend would get up the courage to do something about his feelings soon, or he would just have to lock them both in the nearest broom closet. He knew they had become much closer last year after Ron and Lavender broke up, but they still had not yet come out and said anything directly.

Every once in a while they were visited by Remus Lupin who dropped in on them at random times. He was checking up on them for Molly's peace of mind and would sometimes join them in the Muggle cafés (although at these times there would be no talk of Horcruxes). Tonks joined him on occasion, and Harry although they were never seen, Harry was aware of other Order members tailing them constantly. Now that he knew to look out for them, it was fairly easy to catch the disembodied footprints in the grass, or various signs an inexperienced user of an invisibility cloak left of their presence. The meetings with Lupin were always sobering, as they inevitably turned to discussion of Death Eater activity, which had geometrically increased after the death of Dumbledore. Muggles were beginning to notice more and more goings on of the magical world, although still somehow passing them off as natural disasters of various kinds.

These few weeks of reprieve passed too quickly for Harry's taste, and as the middle of July approached, they began to prepare for the trip to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"So how are we getting to the Burrow tomorrow?" Harry asked Lupin while they were sitting at a café sipping tea.

"Well," he said slowly, putting down his tea. "I was thinking you should probably just Apparate. That would be easiest. And safest."

Harry looked at him shrewdly. "But I don't have a license yet. And I'm not of age."

Lupin shrugged. "You can do Side-Along, can't you? Just go with Hermione if she's OK with that."

"That's fine with me, Harry," Hermione interjected. "And it makes sense."

"Great," Harry said. I really wasn't looking forward to another long broom flight while Disillusioned." Harry shivered. "I don't want to repeat that for a good long while."

Lupin grinned. "I know what you mean. Moody isn't too happy with you Apparating. He says it would be too easy for you to get splinched, but I trust you."

"Thanks Professor," Harry smiled at him. "That means a lot to me."

"It's Remus, Harry. I should warn you though," Lupin's smile disappeared. "Minerva wants to speak with you. She's planning on cornering you tomorrow at the Burrow."

Harry frowned. He knew this would happen eventually. "She still wants to know what I was doing with Dumbledore?" Lupin nodded. "We all do Harry," he said.

Leaning back in his seat, Harry stared over Lupin's shoulder, contemplating. Ron and Hermione were uncharacteristically silent, waiting for him to speak. Minutes passed before he broke the silence. "Can you do me a favor Professor?"

"I'm not your Professor, Harry. And what do you need?"

"Can you gather the Order together at the Burrow tomorrow at 3 o'clock? If it's OK with Mrs. Weasley, of course. I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you what I think you need to know."

Lupin stared at Harry for a few moments before responding. "I'll see what I can do Harry. I won't be able to get everyone, but most should be able to come by tomorrow. If I'm going to gather everyone, I should leave now though." He drained his tea and stood up.

"Thanks Professor."

Lupin glared at him. "Err…Remus."

"You're welcome Harry."

They watched him walk out of the café and turn the corner, supposedly to Disapparate. "What are you going to tell them, Harry?" Ron asked a moment later. "Are you going to tell them about the Horcruxes?"

"I think it would be a good idea, Harry. The Order could do so much more than we could. We should get them to help us," Hermione said.

Harry shook his head. "No. Dumbledore told me not to tell anybody about that. But there are a few things I can tell them. A few things it's time that they knew. And a few things it's time they understood." His friends looked at him apprehensively. They had learned over the past six years that when Harry looked as he did now, completely determined, that it was likely bad things were about to happen.

A/N: I have been reading Post-HBP stories for a few weeks and none of them have yet captured how I imagine the story will go. So I decided to give my take. This will eventually branch out into other avenues that I have been wanting to explore in HP fan fiction, but it will also present my theories as to how the plot will go. I hope you enjoy!


	2. A New Order

**Disclaimer: **This is not my world, or my characters, thank J.K. Rowling for that. I'm just having fun with them and using them to improve my writing in the hopes of one day publishing my own material.

CHAPTER 2 – A NEW ORDER

Harry impassively regarded what had served as his bedroom for the past six summers now that it had been reverted to its original form. He was not going to miss it. He, Ron, and Hermione had spent the morning packing and removing all the charms on the room, and now the only evidence that the room had ever been inhabited was the slightly wrinkled and worn duvet on the shabby bed. Harry reached down and grabbed the three miniature trunks that were sitting on the floor in front of him and passed two of them to his friends while placing the third in his pocket. He hefted his rucksack which Hermione had been charmed to be feather-light, and turned from the smallest bedroom of Number 4 Privet Drive for the last time.

"Let's go," he said. Harry watched his friends disappear under his Invisibility Cloak and then turned to lead them down the stairs. His relatives were gathered around the television, watching a favorite program of Dudley's. Harry walked in and waited until he was noticed.

"What do you want?" grunted his uncle.

"I'm leaving Uncle Vernon. You probably won't see me again. I just wanted to thank you and Aunt Petunia for letting me stay in your home for the past seventeen years."

His uncle never turned his eyes away from the television, but his aunt turned to regard him with a somber face. "Right then," his uncle barked. "Don't let me keep you." His aunt gave a terse nod and then turned back to the television. Harry nodded back and turned to his cousin. "Goodbye Dudley." Dudley chose not to acknowledge him, just as he had done all summer.

Harry shook his head and left the room, opening the door and waiting for his friends to slide past him before following them out the door and closing it for the last time. He walked away from Number 4 without looking back, hoping to never see the place again. Once he had turned down the alleyway, he waited for Ron and Hermione to emerge from the Invisibility Cloak.

"You OK, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I just wish…" he shook his head. "Nevermind. Nothing can change the past."

Ron clapped a hand to his back and handed him the cloak, which Harry tucked into his rucksack. "It's okay, mate. You'll never have to go back there. Don't know why you did this time…mental." Harry smiled at Ron.

"You ready?" Hermione asked, smiling at Harry as she held out her arm for him to grab onto. He did so.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's get out of here."

They turned, and after a brief feeling of being uncomfortably compressed they were standing in front of the Burrow, its ramshackle appearance a soothing sight for Harry.

"There you are!" Molly's voice shrieked from inside the house. The door sprang open and the squat matriarch of the Weasleys came bustling out of the house. "Ron!" she threw her arms around her youngest son. "Mum, geroff!" came Ron's muffled voice from inside her embrace. "And Harry! And Hermione!" she pulled the other two into her hug. "I was so worried! What took so long?"

Harry glanced at his watch and raised his eyebrows. "Long? Mrs. Weasley, it's not even noon." A faint blush crept into her cheeks. "Yes, well, I expected you here sooner. Come in, quickly! I have some sandwiches if you're hungry. Don't worry Ron, they're not corned beef!"

Ron's face broke into a grin and he rubbed his hands together gleefully, "Great! Come on, what are we waiting for?" He took off towards the Burrow and Harry and Hermione shared a chuckle. Mrs. Weasley knew just how to get Ron moving. She ushered them into the kitchen and sat them down at the table, piling sandwiches in front of them, and hovering above them as they ate.

When they had all had their fill, Harry sat back in his chair contentedly. "Where are all the others Mrs. Weasley?" he asked as she continued to keep herself busy in the kitchen.

"Oh, they're all down by the river setting everything up for the wedding tomorrow. It's going to be so wonderful! Can you believe Bill is finally getting married?"

"Yeah, it's great Mrs. Weasley." Harry said. Ron snorted.

Mrs. Weasley rounded on him. "And you, young man, have a lot to do before the ceremony tomorrow!" Ron looked at her incredulously. "What? Me?"

"Yes, you! You've been gone all summer and haven't been fitted for your dress robes yet." Ron groaned. "And you still need to go over the ceremony with your brothers so you know what you'll be doing tomorrow!"

"But Mum-"

"No buts! The others will be up here for lunch in a few minutes and then you'll go with Bill to get fitted, and no complaining! While you've been having fun with Harry, the rest of us have been working, so count yourself lucky!"

Hermione was smiling at the look on Ron's face and asked, "Is there anything Harry and I can do to help, Mrs. Weasley?"

"Oh thank you for offering dear, I'm sure we'll be able to find something for you and Harry to do." She looked out the window. "And here they all come now!" she moved quickly to set the table with another great heaping platter of sandwiches before they came in. Harry heard the door bang open behind him and a great buzzing of conversation erupted into the Burrow. Harry could make out the voices of the twins carrying over the tumult.

"Oh please Bill?" one asked.

"Yeah, come on!" said the other.

"It'll be-"

"Just fine-"

"We promise!" they finished together.

"For the last time," Bill said loudly, "You two are not going to be in charge of refreshments! It's already taken care of! I said 'No' Fred!" he added as one of the twins opened his mouth to retort.

George snorted. "You call that stuff food? _I_ could eat everything they've got and be hungry again in half an hour."

"And besides," Fred added with a shudder, "I am not eating _snails_!"

Harry could not keep himself from interjecting, "And the chance to throw in a few Canary Creams to liven up the reception never crossed your minds, did it? Or do you have something better planned?"

The group that had just entered the kitchen turned to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting at the table. Both twins sported identical hurt looks.

"Harry! How could you-" Fred asked, coming over to him.

"Our illustrious investor-" George continued, following his brother.

"Reason behind our successes-"

"Our inspiration!"

"Ever think such a thing of us?" They finished by throwing kneeling down and throwing their arms over Harry's shoulders.

Harry snorted. "How could I not after knowing you two for six years?" Everyone laughed. Harry lowered his voice and spoke under the laughter, "Besides, they'll be expecting the food. Why not go for something more subtle?" he winked and pressed a note into George's hand while everyone else was distracted. George pocketed it quickly and they both grinned evilly. "Right," Fred said, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Glad you three could join us. Now shove over!" He pushed Ron out of his seat and reached for a plate of sandwiches.

"Hey!" Ron slapped his brother on the back of the head and sat back down on the other side of Hermione.

Harry looked up as the rest began filing into the kitchen. He regarded Bill silently. Twin scars cut diagonally across his face and stood out sharply against his otherwise smooth skin. He was limping slightly and was supported by his future wife, Fleur, but other than that showed no signs of his recent encounter with Fenrir Greyback. Harry stood up and reached out to shake his hand. "Bill."

"Harry," he gripped Harry's hand. "I'm glad you came."

Harry smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Fleur swooped down on him and kissed both his cheeks. Smiling at him, but otherwise refraining from comment as she led her soon to be husband to the table.

Harry caught a brief flash of a familiar flowery scent and he stiffened unconsciously as he turned to the others. "Mr. Weasley, Charlie…Ginny." His voice almost broke as he uttered the last name and caught sight of the youngest of the Weasleys. His breath caught in his throat and the monster in his chest gave a soft purr. Even with her hair disheveled from setting up for the wedding she was more beautiful than he remembered. More alluring than he could have dreamed. He had to force himself to turn away from her before she could catch his eyes; he felt his resolve from last month almost melting away in her presence, as a wall of snow before the merciless onslaught of the sun.

Hermione and Ron shared a look behind his back that Harry missed, and all other conversation died down. "Alright, Harry?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Alright," he said without looking at her. "You?"

"Alright."

He quickly turned away. "Erm…Mr. Weasley?"

Mr. Weasley's gaze slowly moved from his only daughter to Harry. "Yes, Harry?"

"Did Remus talk to you?"

Mr. Weasley nodded. "Everyone who is able will be here in three hours."

"And did you also get in touch with Neville and Luna, like I asked?"

"Yes," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. "They'll be here too."

Harry locked eyes with him. "Great. Could you come get me when they show up? I'll be upstairs." Mr. Weasley nodded, and Harry did his best to not look around as he walked out of the room. Ginny's fragrance assaulted his senses as he walked past her and it took all his self control not to either sprint up the stairs, or turn back and pull her into his arms. Instead he was able to force himself to walk slowly up the stairs and away from the silent kitchen and the source of his self-inflicted torment.

Harry was left to his own devices until Mr. Weasley came up to tell him people were arriving for the meeting that he had requested. He felt guilty for leaving everyone and not helping to set up for the wedding, but he had not been mentally prepared for seeing Ginny again. He had forced himself not to think about her this last month, and needed to collect himself before being near her again. He did not want to feel strange around her. In all honesty, all he wanted to do was grab her and never let her go, but he could not consciously do that knowing the danger it would put her in and the path that he had chosen for himself. A path of loneliness.

Harry descended the crooked stairs of the Burrow, automatically following Mr. Weasley's form in front of him. It took him a few moments once they reached the bottom to realize that the room had been enlarged and a long oaken table had been conjured. The Order of the Phoenix was arranged around the table, and Harry looked around at the faces peering back at him. He recognized all of the people sitting around the table. He was surprised, but not unpleased, to see Ron and Hermione there, glad that Mrs. Weasley had acquiesced to include them in the meeting. What surprised him most, however, was Ginny sitting meekly next to them, gazing openly at him. He took a deep breath and approached the only open seat left: the head of the table. Facing directly across from him and looking at him sternly was Professor McGonagall, with Remus and Tonks to her left, and Kingsley Shacklebolt and "Mad Eye" Moody to her right. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat next to them, followed by the rest of the Weasleys with the exception of Ron and Ginny who were seated along with Hermione in the seats closest to him. The middle of the table included Hagrid, smiling at him from underneath his bushy beard, Professors Flitwick and Sprout, Hestia Jones, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood.

Harry was pleased with the turnout, and glad that someone had been able to get in touch with Luna and Neville. He nodded and sat down, placing his hands flat on the table in front of him. "First off," he said, his voice a little horse. He cleared his throat. "First off, I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice, and at my request." Remus smiled at him, although McGonagall continued to stare at him impassively. "There is something that Professor Dumbledore shared with me before his death that I think it is time you all know." He looked McGonagall in the eye. "Is everyone here?"

"Everyone who could come on such short notice," Remus said. "There are a lot of others, but they have to keep up the semblance of a normal life and couldn't get away."

Harry nodded in acceptance. "Is the room secured?"

Bill spoke up. "It's safe Harry, I warded it myself and sealed the room after you came in. No one outside of here will be able to hear us." He looked at the twins. "Not even with Extendable Ears."

"And there are no rats?" he asked, arching his eyebrow and looking pointedly at Remus.

Hermione responded to his query this time. "Crookshanks took care of that concern," she said pointing to the ginger cat that was curled comfortably next to the door he had come in.

He smiled grimly. "Good. Because what I have to say cannot leave this room. Let me first make it clear, that you are _not_ about to learn where Professor Dumbledore and I were the night he…the night of the Hogwarts battle, nor what we were doing." There were angry mutterings amongst the adults and McGonagall opened her mouth to comment. Harry slammed his fist against the table and raised his voice. "Professor Dumbledore asked me _never_ to divulge that information to _anyone_, and until I see a perfectly good reason not to, I shall obey his wishes. This is not open for debate." He glared around the table, challenging anyone to speak against his proclamation.

"Now that we have that issue cleared up, there is something else he shared with me that it is time you all knew. Something that many have suspected, but none have been able to confirm. The Daily Prophet has declared me the 'Chosen One.' I don't like this epithet, but it is indeed true." More surprised mutterings sprung up around the table, and he could hear Mrs. Weasley stifle a sob. "Seventeen years ago, Dumbledore was witness to a prophecy. The exact wording is not important, but it said that 'The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord' was soon to be born, that the Dark Lord would 'mark him for his equal' and that 'neither can live while the other survives.'" He looked at Professor McGonagall. Her lips were pressed together in her characteristic look of disapproval. "I know that many of us here have no confidence in Divination or belief in the subject. Myself included." McGonagall's impassive stare began to waver and she seemed more confused than anything. "But Voldemort does," most of the people at the table flinched at the mention of Voldemort and Hagrid nearly fell out of his seat. "Whether I or anyone else here believes or disbelieves this prophecy does not matter. The seer who gave it was overheard by one of Voldemort's servants who brought word of it back to his Master. Voldemort believed it." Harry pushed his hair away from his scar. "And he marked me as his equal." Harry dropped his hand, allowing his hair fall back into place.

"Dumbledore helped me to understand that this prophecy, while it does not hold sway over my destiny in any tangible way, is nevertheless true. After what I and my family and my friends have suffered at his hands, I would not ever stop fighting him, whether or not the prophecy ever existed. Voldemort himself made the choice that night sixteen years ago when he came after me and killed my parents. He made his own worst enemy, as all tyrants inevitably do, and I _will not stop_ until he is defeated. The prophecy declared that I have a 'power the Dark Lord knows not.' Dumbledore believed that this is my capacity to love. I don't know if that's true or not, but I am willing to trust in him." Harry smiled at Mr. Weasley. "Someone once told me that Dumbledore's hunches were generally better than most people's facts." Harry's eyes hardened and he glared around the table. "It stops here and now. I am going after Voldemort, but I can't do it alone. I need help. I need the Order, but I also need the freedom to do what I have to do, and not to be hampered or questioned about it by anyone. I have to know now whether or not I can count on you to back me up. I need training. I need to learn Occlumency, and I need to improve my dueling." He looked at the Aurors now. "And I need to know that you will follow me unquestionably until Voldemort is defeated once and for all. I need your pledge here and now, or you may as well walk out that door and leave me to do what I must."

Harry sat back in his chair breathing hard. He had never addressed so many people so earnestly and on such an important manner. He was nervous about their reactions to his forceful attitude. McGonagall stood up slowly and everyone at the table turned to look at her. Harry held his breath. In the absence of Dumbledore, the Order seemed to look to her for guidance, and Harry knew that if she walked, he would be losing a valuable asset, and her decision would also sway many of the others who he was not so intimately acquainted with. "Mr. Potter," she began. "I do not agree with you withholding possibly crucial information from the Order, and if I could, I would force you to reveal what you were doing under the influence of Veritaserum." Harry groaned inwardly, but he forced his face to remain impassive. "However," she said, "I too trust Albus Dumbledore. And therefore, I will grant you my trust. I swear that I will do my best to help you in any way you require." She walked around the table and drew her wand, deftly flipping it over in her hand and presenting it to him handle first. Harry knew this to be an ancient symbol of fealty between wizards. By offering one's wand to another, the wizard or witch was placing their life in the other's hands. Harry solemnly took her wand and flipped it over, returning it to her in the same fashion. She gave him a rare smile and returned to her seat. The others were strangely silent during this display.

Ron broke the silence by standing up, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville following almost immediately. "You know we've got your back, mate. We always have, and we always will." Harry nodded at him gratefully and felt a tear falling from the corner of his eye at the show of loyalty from his friends. One by one the rest of the table stood and offered their pledge to follow him and help him in the coming war. As the last of the group, Hestia Jones, gave her pledge a faint and familiar music reached Harry's ears. As the phoenix song grew in volume his heart was warmed and he looked up towards the ceiling above the table. With a flash of fire, Fawkes appeared above the table and soared around the room before landing on Harry's shoulder. The wizards and witches all gave a gasp and Hermione threw her hands up to cover her mouth.

Harry felt a presence pushing gently at his mind as if asking permission to enter, and he let the phoenix into his thoughts. As their minds touched for the first time, Harry felt his entire soul warm at the contact. He did not know why or how he knew, but he was sure that Fawkes had chosen to bind himself to Harry just as he had to Dumbledore previously. Harry was comforted by the fact that this noble animal would be with him when he faced Voldemort, and he also knew that Fawkes would not leave him until the end of his life.

Harry reached up and caressed the phoenix's head. "'Lo Fawkes. Glad you could join us." Fawkes gave a short squawk and jumped up to perch on the chair behind him. Harry could feel his presence, and knew without a doubt that he would never be alone again. He finally looked at the assembled witches and wizards who had just pledged their loyalty to him and smiled. "Thank you all."

Hermione looked like she was bursting to say something and barely restraining herself. Harry could only imagine it had something to do with Fawkes. The others were looking at him with barely restrained awe, also a product of Fawkes' appearance he assumed. "While we're here, is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" he asked nobody in particular.

McGonagall was the first to shake herself out of her stupor. "Yes actually, there is," she said shakily. She reached into a pocket in her robes and removed a miniature trunk and a key ring. She placed them on the table and with a wave of her wand they slid across the table and came to rest in front of him. "Albus left these two items for you in his will. He very specifically asked that they be given to you before your seventeenth birthday. He said you would know the password to access the trunks." Harry picked up the trunk and key ring and placed them in his pocket for closer examination later. McGonagall waited for him to pocket the items and then continued. "As for your request for training," she looked at the people immediately to her left and right, "I think if they are willing Alastor, Kingsley, Tonks, and Remus would be the best to do that."

They all nodded and Moody banged his walking stick against the floor. "Aye, I've been waitin' to see ye in action Potter. I think it will be an experience for all of us." His lips cracked into a gruesome smile. "When do you want to start?" Harry asked.

Tonks looked to Kingsley. "Well, we're off the day after the wedding, how about then?"

Harry nodded. "Great. I'll be ready." He looked around. "Anything else?"

"Yes," McGonagall said.

Harry looked at her expectantly.

She took a deep breath. "If you really do have to fight You-Know-Who-"

"Voldemort," Harry said sternly. The table collectively flinched. "Would somebody please explain to me why everybody is so scared to say his name? Dumbledore always said the 'fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself.' He wasn't afraid of saying Voldemort. Why can't anyone else?"

There was silence around the table. Finally McGonagall spoke up. "You were not around for the last war, Harry," she said kindly. "You don't know-"

"Well then tell me," he said.

She pursed her lips together and breathed sharply through her nostrils before continuing. "During his first rise to power when the wizarding world was just getting wind of Lord Voldemort," she gave a shudder, "people would talk in the streets. Wondering where he was, when he would strike next, and so forth. It took a while for everyone to catch on, but the people who were most vocal in the streets, talking about him, were the ones who were killed. It got to the point that if someone mentioned his name out loud in a public place, you could be sure they would be dead within the week. We were afraid to mention him, and started speaking of attacks in whispers… 'Did you hear He's attacked the Perkinses?' 'Have you heard You-Know-Who's been active around Surrey?' These kinds of statements didn't provoke attacks, but mentioning his name did. It was as if he was omniscient. I, for one, still don't know how he did it, but eventually no one would dare to utter his name out loud."

Harry took her speech in and sat back to consider it. "Well," he said eventually. "I think it's time to break this habit. Voldemort caused this fear of his name purposefully, it sounds like. He wants people to be scared to even mention him, much less fight him." Harry smiled. "I think its time we take one weapon away from him at least."

Harry stood up to address the Order again. "You may or may not know that Lord Voldemort attended Hogwarts nearly fifty years ago. Despite the dogma of his Death Eaters, he himself is a half-blood, the son of a Muggle. He was given his father's name: Tom Marvolo Riddle. I think it would annoy him to no end if his true identity was revealed to the public, and a new name given to the Dark Lord. Tom. From now on, I say we call Voldemort Tom. What do you think?"

Ron was chuckling slightly, and Hermione gave a squeal of glee. "Harry, that's brilliant! If we can show everyone that he's just a man, granted a very powerful one, but actually a mortal instead of the monster he presents himself to be, they might actually start to fight back on their own!"

McGonagall shook her head. "I don't know, Mr. Potter. If using his given name will annoy him as much as you say, you may be signing a death warrant for anyone who uses it."

"That's the best part, Professor," Harry said. "Tom is such a common name, how can he make everyone stop using it? They could just be referring to the barman at the Leaky Cauldron, or any other hundreds of people named Tom. He hates associating himself with anything common, but we'll make sure that he can never get away from it!"

"I still don't know…"

"Well," Harry interrupted. "If nothing else, from now on we here should refer to him as either Tom or Voldemort, whichever you're more comfortable with. No more of this 'Dark Lord' or 'You-Know-Who' stuff. It's ridiculous." Harry looked around at the people at the table. Most seemed to be considering what he said, although Mrs. Weasley looked horrified, and Luna had pulled out what looked to be a hand-sewn doll and was currently poking it in different places with a large needle.

Sighing, McGonagall relented. "Fine then, Mr. Potter. As I was saying, if you really do have to fight _Tom_ you should know exactly what's been happening this last month…"

Harry sat up in Ron's room after leaving the meeting and waited for his friends to join them. Fawkes had joined him and was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Harry did not want to think about how Hedwig would react once she saw his new companion, but that would be a problem for another time. He did not have to wait long. Mere moments after he sat on his bed he heard the pounding of Ron's feet ascending the stairs and the door flew open to reveal him and Hermione staring in at him.

"Well come on in. Don't just stand there!" Harry said, almost laughing.

They came in and sat down side by side on Ron's bed. "Harry," Hermione said, "Where did that come from?"

"Fawkes is a phoenix, Hermione, not a 'that'" he said amused.

Hermione shook her head, "No, not that…I mean Fawkes is something else, I mean it's amazing Harry, witnessing a Phoenix Binding, but that's not what…I mean, what was…when did you…how?" She was talking fast and stumbling over herself, and Ron placed a calming hand on her knee.

"I think what Hermione is trying to say is, what the hell happened back there? You were…scary almost. I've never seen you like that."

Harry felt a blush rising to his cheeks. "I…well, I just had to make them understand that they weren't dealing with a child anymore. I was expecting more of a fight from McGonagall. Wanting us to take a back seat like we always have, and I just wanted to lay everything on the line right up front."

Ron shook his head in amazement at how much his friend underestimated himself. "Harry, I don't think anyone in that table could have refused you if you had asked them all to commit Hari Kari right then and there. It was impressive."

"I've never seen that side of you Harry," Hermione said quietly. "You were radiating so much power and authority. If we could have caught that on video and sent it to the Death Eaters, Voldemort would have been stupid if he did anything but tuck tale and run the other way. Like Ron said, it was scary."

Harry blushed harder and coughed into his hand self-consciously. "Yes, well…that's over now and we can concentrate on other things." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what Dumbledore had left for him and placed the objects on the bed. He gazed at the miniature trunk and the key ring for a few moments before turning to face his friends. "Any thought Hermione?"

Hermione pulled her wand and moved over to the bed. She waved it quickly above the trunk and muttered something. Her wand glowed blue for a moment and she gave a satisfied nod. "Just what I thought: self-shrinking trunk. You'll need a password to make it grow back to its original size." She turned to the keys and picked them up. "These look like keys to the trunk. It must be multi-layered. She searched through the keys and then gasped as she let all but one fall from her grasp, dangling on the ring. The key she held was slightly larger than the rest and solid gold, whereas the others were bronze. It was emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest, and seemed to Harry to be a very ineffective key, merely a smooth shaft where the teeth of the key should be.

"Harry, do you know what this is?" she asked.

"No, but I assume you do."

"This," she said, gazing in awe at the key, "is the key to Hogwarts. I've read about it in-"

"_Hogwarts: A History_," finished Ron. "Yes, we know where you read about it," he said with amusement.

Hermione shot him a nasty look before turning her gaze back on the key. "Harry, the holder of this key is able to get through any door in Hogwarts Castle. No password will be able to hold him back, and the wards will part for the holder. The book referred to it almost as legend, as no one had seen a Hogwarts Headmaster carry it since 1326 when Dereford…"

Harry let her ramble on as he gazed at the key that she was holding in her hand. Why had Dumbledore given it to him? Why not to McGonagall as the next Headmistress? He turned towards the miniature trunk sitting on his bed, knowing it contained at least some of the answers he needed. Harry pulled out his wand and used it to float the trunk down to the floor.

"Harry!" Hermione's indignant shriek interrupted his concentration. "What?" he asked.

"You're underage! What are you doing? The Ministry will expel you for sure!"

Harry smiled. "Calm down Hermione. The Ministry can only detect magic, not who is casting it. They rely on parents to control their children in a wizarding household."

"Blimey," Ron shook his head. "If I'd known that…" he said wistfully.

"Then you'd have been in a lot of trouble a long time ago, Ron Weasley!" Hermione said. "But Harry, how do you know that?"

Smiling sadly, Harry replied. "Dumbledore told me last year when he picked me up from the Dursleys." He turned back to the trunk and regarded it silently. It was just like Dumbledore to leave him a riddle like this. He would know the password, huh? "Voldemort," he said experimentally. Nothing happened except for Ron nearly falling off his bed. "Honestly Ron, you need to get used to his name. Voldemort." Ron shivered slightly.

"Yeah, I know, but that was out of nowhere, Harry. Give a bloke a bit of warning, next time will you?"

Harry smiled and looked back to the trunk. He thought back on all the times he had spoken with Dumbledore in the past year. What would he have set as the password? Harry looked towards Fawkes, hoping for a clue, but the bird just starred back at him impassively. Suddenly, the answer hit him. Grinning broadly, Harry turned to the trunk and said distinctly, "Lemon Drop."

With a pop there was a full size trunk sitting where the miniature had been a moment before. There were seven keyholes on the front of the trunk and a large and impressively decorated bronze 'D' was set into the lid. Harry chuckled. He placed the first key into the keyhole and turned it. There was a click and the lid popped open.

Ron and Hermione hurried around the trunk and stood next to him as he peered down into it. What seemed to be a large blanket was covering something, or some things, bulky that was filling most of the trunk. Sitting on the top was a note in the familiar slanting handwriting of Albus Dumbledore. Harry picked up the note gently, hungry for some last words from his mentor.

_Harry,_

_I hope this reaches you safely and in good health. Below the sheet in this compartment is my Pensieve. Please view the memory contained therein on your own the first time. If you later feel that you need to share it, you may do so with anyone whom you think needs to see it._

_Albus_ _Dumbledore_

Harry handed the note to Hermione and reached down to grasp the sheet and pull it out, revealing the familiar Pensieve filled with the mysterious liquid-gas of memory and surrounded by crates full of other bottled memories.

Harry turned to his friends. "Wait for me?" he asked.

Hermione smiled. "Of course Harry."

Ron nodded. "We'll be right here."

With that, Harry bent down and placed his nose to the Pensieve and felt himself sinking down into yet another memory of Albus Dumbledore.

A/N: Well, I'm writing a bit faster than I expected…and thus taking more time off from my homework than I should. I will be updating again hopefully at the beginning of next week. Please criticize/critique to your heart's content as I love getting advice. Thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter.


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